Rotary steam-engine



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN B. ROOT, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

ROTARY STEAM-ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 16,613, dated February 10, 1857.

To all 'wh-0m t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN B. Boor, of the city of Buffalo, in the countyof Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Rotary Steam-Engines; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull and exact description thereof, reference being made to theaccompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon. A

The nature of my invention consists, 1st, in making a central stationaryhub, made fast to the cylinder head, for the purpose and in the manneras hereinafter described; ind, in making a hollow cylindrical piston,which incloses the central hub,"and friction rollers, and revolveseccentrically around the central hub and rolls upon the inner-surface ofthe steam cylinder; 3d, in making and arranging a series of frictionrollers which roll on, and around the central hub, and upon the innersurface of the steam piston, and upon which the steam piston` rests;4th, in the construction and combination of a sliding frameself-adjustable boxes, driving ring, and wedge, for the purpose ofregulating the bearing of the friction rollers upon the piston andcentralhub.

To enable others skilled in the artyto make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe its construction and operation.

Figure I, represents an end elevationthe loose cylinder head beingremoved.v

Fig. II, a longitudinal section. Fig. III, plan of cross head anddriving shaft. Fig. IV, plan of sliding frame and driving frame ring andboxes.

A, refers to the central hub.

B, refers to the steam cylinder; c, d, e, 7 and g, pairs of frictionrollers; D, cut-oH-valve chamber; H, steam piston; z', z', adjustableboxes; J, sliding frame; K, driving rings; L, wedge; m, groove in pistonfor packing; 11 line of movement of adjustable boxes z', 2'.; o, 0,packing plates for abutment; P, steam pipe; p, opening for steam fromabutment to cylinder; r, cut off valve; S, cross head; T, stationarycylinder head; T, loose cylinder head; t, t, pin holes in driving ringto receive the pins t', t, of cross head; V, driving shaft which passesthrough the central hub; X, friction roller for abutment; Y, exhaustpipe; Z, portion of driving ring K; U, journal box of friction rolleraxle c; V, one packing plate under abutment.

Letters of the same kind refer to like parts in each of the figures.

The drawings are made on a scale giving the relative proportions of theseveral parts, and by observing substantially these proportions, anengine of greater or less power may be constructed as required.

I make my steam cylinder in two parts, of cast iron.

Fig. I, represents an end elevation, with the working parts in relativeposition the loose cylinder head being removed.

At A, is represented the central hub, and at B, the steam cylinder. Thecylinder B, the central hub A, and the cylinder head' T, (Fig. II.) arecast solid together, and when cast may be put into a lathe and thecylinder bored, the hub turned, and the head faced, and thewholefinished up at once, without beingremoved from the lathe, thus obtainingperfect accuracy. The loose cylinder head (T.) is cast separate, and maybe faced and connected to the cylinder, by means of a flanch and bolts,in the usual manner. The hub A, extends through the cylinderlongitudinally and thus occupies a central postion within the cylinderas represented in Fig. II. The driving shaft V, passes through thecentral hub, as hereinafter more fully described.

I make live pairs of friction rollers c, 0l, e, f, and g, each pairbeing attached to its separate axle. Three pairs of these rollers to witrl, 0,9, roll on the central hub A, e, and f roll on the inner' surfaceof the steam piston H. The axle of f, rests upon the periphery of 0 andg, and the axle of e, rests upon the eri-v hery of c and d. The axles ofe and f, extend through the rollers, so that the ends thereof rest uponthe periphery of o, and cause c, to roll once around the central hub,while e and f have rolled once around upon the inner surface of thesteam piston H, and the engine made one revolution. The axles of e and fresting and rolling upon the periphery of d, and g, in like manner causecl, and g, to roll upon the hub A. The axles of (l, and g, are supportedby, and run in the adjustable boxes z', z'. The fboxes (2', z',) aresupported by the sliding frames J. This frame (J) holds the frictionrollers in their places, and revolves with them around the central hub.

The boxes z', z', are made self-adjustable on the sliding frame J, andmove upon an angle inclining toward the center' of the hub, representedby the line n. A driving ring K, encompasses the frame J, and the axlesof the friction wheels. A portion of the ring drops down as representedat Z, Fig. IV, and rests upon the axle of c, but does not touch theaxles of the other rollers. The ring K, the frame J, and the frictionrollers, revolve together around the central hub.

The frame J is made to slide up and down in the ring K, and isadjustable by the key or wedge L.

The pressure of the rollers e and f upon the inner surface of the steampiston H, is regulated by the wedge L, and consequently the pressure ofthe steam piston upon the cylinder is regulated in the same manner. Thewedge L, wedges in between the driving ring K, and the sliding frame J.When this wedge is removed, the whole internal work becomes loosened andmay be removed at pleasure. When the wedge is forced in the wholeinternal work is held in its appropriate position.

The action is as follows: The wedge forces up the frame J. This actsupon the boxes z' i and forces the rollers d and g, between the hub A,and the axles of e and f, pressing e and f against the piston H, and thepiston against the cylinder B.

My steam piston (H,) is made in the cylindrical form and rolls upon theinner surface of the steam cylinder, B, forming a steam tight oint atits line of contact with the cylinder B, the rollers e, and f holding itagainst the cylinder as described. In rolling around the inner surfaceof the cylinder (B) the ends of the piston rub against the cylinderheads T and T', forming a steam tight joint. It is packed in t-he groovem. The friction rollers, the driving ring K, the sliding frame J, alloperate' within the steam piston H.

At S, Fig. III, is represented a cross head. This is keyed on to thedriving shaft V. The driving 'shfftwtlroufgh the central hub A, asrepresented in Fig. H. The pins t t, enter the pin holes t, t, (Fig. IV)in the driving ring K. So that the cross head S, and the driving shaftV, must revolve with and in the same direction with the driving ring K.

To prevent friction or rubbing upon the axles of the rollers, the axlesof the rollers e and f, must bear the same proportion to the size of therollers, as the hub does to the circle around which the rollers e and froll. Steam is admitted through the pipe P, and is allowed to passbehind the abutment N. Sufcient to keep the abutment in contact with thepiston H, during the revolution of the piston around the cylinder. lAfriction roller is placed under the abutment as represented at X. Thisroller is so arranged in reference to the abutment, and the steampressure upon it, that the abutment is nearly balanced upon the roller,whether the abutment is passing out or in; consequently, rubbingfriction is mostly avoided and the abutment caused to work freely andeasily. A steam passage (represented at L,) is made through theabutment. Steam is admitted into the passage (7L) through the opening(a) and passes into the cylinder through the opening (p) in thedirection of the arrows. The steam behind the abutment is sufficient tokeep the abutment bearing against the piston while the piston rollsaround the cylinder. Thus the abutment separates between the live andthe exhaust steam. A cut-off Valve, which is shown at (r) rests upon theabutment within the valve chamber D. The valve (7") is carried by theabutment when moving toward the center of the cylinder across the valvechamber until it strikes the side next to the cylinder, where it stops,and the abutment continues to pass along with the piston until thepiston has reached its opposite bearing upon the cylinder and theopening (a) passed under the valve (r) and the steam is cut olf.

After the steam is cut oif, the piston is carried around by theexpansive power of the steam within the cylinder and the momentum of thebalance wheel and the abutment is forced in so that the valve r, strikesthe opposite side of the valve chamber when the valve isstOpped-the'abutment continuing to pass along until the opening (a) haspassed from under the valve The abutment continuing to follow the pistonand hold its contact with it; at this moment commences its returnmovement toward the center of the cylinder, and steam is again admittedthrough the opening (a) and again cut off as before described. Thus therevolution of the engine is completed and continued. When the abutmenthas passed in; in its return movement, the opening (p) is brought underthe packing plate (o) thus preventing any escape of steam. At w, is alsoshown a packing plate under the abutment. A recess is made, under theabutment from this packing plate to the end, in order to admit steamunder the end of the abutment. The obj ect of this, is to preserve abalance of the steam pressure upon the abutment and roller X.

The action of the steam on the piston is toward the centervof thepiston. The motion of the piston being eccentric to the hub, andsupported upon t-he hub by the friction rollers the power of the steamis exerted upon the piston and rollers in a line forward of the centerof the hub. The hub is the grand center of orbital motion of the pistonand friction rollers; and hence the arrangement of the rollers with thepiston and hub already described, keeps the power of the steamconstantly acting upon the piston and rollers, forward of this center.

I claiml. The central hub A, when used as a support for frictionrollers, in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

2. I claim the arrangement of friction rollers Within the piston H, uponthe central hub A, substantially as herein set forth.

3. I claim the piston H, when used and act-ing upon friction rollers,substantially in the manner herein described.

4. I claim the combination of the sliding frame J, the self-adjustableboxes z', z', the driving ring K, and the Wedge L, for the purpose ofregulating the bearing of the friction rollers upon the piston H, andcentral hub A, substantially as herein set forth.

JOHN B. ROOT.

Vitnesses:

E. B. FoRBUsH, W. H. CUTTER.

